The Quest
by TheBigBadWolfxTheOncomingStorm
Summary: "If I find the past Avatars in the spirit world, I think I will be able to reestablish my connection with them," her eyes became fixated on the ground. "All of them." Tenzin abruptly stood up. "Absolutely not! I will not allow you-" "It's not your decision, Tenzin! It is mine," Korra said sternly, "and mine alone."
1. Chapter 1

**Hello people! If you have read my Doctor Who fics, don't hate me. I am on a Legend of Korra kick and I decided to post a story. My Doctor Who fics are not abandoned, I have simply had no motivation to write any new chapters. So they're on hold until my motivation comes back. If you just clicked on this story to read it, I'm glad you did! **

**This is the redo of the original post, thanks to my FANTASTIC Beta *drum roll* forgetspecifics****! She is absolutely awesome, incredible, amazing, fantastic, and any other similes you guys can think of. She has put up with me while going through this story, and for that I am very thankful. Without her this story would just be a fraction of what it is now. **

**Anyways, here is my take on what happens after season 2. **

* * *

They had stayed in the South Pole. Not only did Korra miss her home, but Tenzin and his siblings wanted to spend some time with their mother. Mako, Bolin, and Asami stayed as well even though Korra insisted that they could go back to Republic City. After training diligently with Tenzin for about a year in the South, he had declared that Korra was ready for her final Avatar test. She changed into her sparring gear, and walked to the area where she passed her fire bending test.

"Korra!" Bolin shouted from behind her.

"Hm?" she turned and raised an eyebrow.

"So, your final Avatar test huh?"

"Yeah, it's pretty exciting."

"Just to let you know Mako, Asami, and I will be there cheering you on the whole time!" Bolin's words of encouragement were something Korra always appreciated.

"Thanks," she smiled and continued walking.

He looked at her, with a somewhat worried glance. "Are you okay?"

That made Korra stop in her tracks.

"What do you mean? I'm fine, better than ever…" she trailed off, leaving him to elaborate, although she had a feeling he wanted her to open up.

"You know what I mean Korra. It's been about six months since Mako and Asami… how are you doing?"

_'There it is,'_ she thought. But nevertheless, Bolin did genuinely care. "To tell you the truth, it's not the most comforting feeling in the world."

"You know, he still has feelings for you."

Frustration crept up her throat, but it came out as a fizzled excuse. "But I'm the Avatar. I can't afford to be in a relationship where I have to worry if he is cheating on me or not!"

Bolin knew when she was done talking. After all, she probably didn't enjoy thinking about the circumstances in which she lost her boyfriend. "I'm here for you Korra, don't forget that," he pulled her into a signature Bolin platypus bear hug.

"Thanks, Bolin," she smiled as she returned the embrace. "I better get going, this test might literally take all day!"

"See you there!"  
He turned around to find his back-stabbing, cheating , ex-girlfriend loving brother.

* * *

"Avatar Korra," Tenzin greeted her with a bow.

"Master Tenzin," she returned the gesture.

"Are you ready? This test will not only test your physical bending abilities, but your spiritual connection to-" he was stopped short by Korra.

"It's okay, I know I'm not connected with my past lives anymore. But I am working on it."

He was surprised to hear this. "What do you mean you're 'working on it'?"

Korra explained to her Master, "I think if I can find Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, Wan, and all the other Avatars I can restore my connection with them."

"Hm…" Tenzin stroked his beard , pondering in thought.

"It's a long shot, but I'm gonna give it my best."

"And I am proud of you, Korra. Come, we are ready to begin."

As Korra stepped into the arena, she saw Master Katara, her other elemental Masters, the order of the White Lotus, along with Bumi, Kya, Bolin, Mako, and Asami. They were all there to watch her.

"You will spar with me first, airbending only," Tenzin began, "Then we will visit your other elements, as well as your control in the Avatar state."

Korra nodded, and took her airbending stance.

The sound of the gong rang in her ears.

Tenzin blew two powerful gusts of wind towards her, and Korra dived into them, effectively splitting them apart. She jumped up and kicked multiple times in the air, causing several air slices to go Tenzin's way, which he skillfully avoided. Putting her hands together, she punched forward and a powerful blast of wind shot from her fists. With a movement of his hand, Tenzin disrupted the air pattern, and the attack was ruined.

'_Avoid and evade, that's what an air bender does…'_ Korra thought to herself.

She began to twirl, and ascended in a funnel of air. Sending multiple air punches to Tenzin one way, she sent one from behind him. While distracted dispersing her first set of attacks, Tenzin didn't see her other attack coming behind him. He fell forward on his face, and Korra dropped as she dissolved her air funnel. She used the air around her to force her to fall faster, and she could hear gasps from the sidelines. Just before she became a pancake, she drew in a large breath of air and exhaled. She was forced backwards, and just as Tenzin was getting up he was thrown backwards as well. Maneuvering in the air, she twisted around so she would land on her feet, and came to a skidding stop on the ice.

Korra then created a massive air scooter, and stood on it while racing forward towards Tenzin. She jumped off, and the ball of air smacked into her master, engulfing him. She willed the air to continue to spin, and Tenzin was lifted off the ground in the ball. He tried to escape, but Korra's air bending was too powerful for him to take control of.

After a minute the gong rang again, and Korra let Tenzin down slowly. Walking over to him, she offered him a hand. He accepted it, and she pulled him off the snowy ground.

"Well done Korra. Although your attacks were forward, you still thought like an airbender. You realized that I would only avoid your attacks, and you caught me off guard. You have passed air bending," he smiled.

"Yes! Woohoo!" she shot into the air, and drifted to the ground. After receiving disapproving glares from her masters, she composed herself. "I mean, thank you."

She bowed to Tenzin, and then to the group that was watching her.

* * *

"Earth is next," an elderly man from the White Lotus said.

Her earthbending master stepped onto the ice, and smiled at her. "Master Chang!" she ran forward and hugged him.

"Avatar Korra, it has been a long time," he returned the embrace.

The man was in his late forties now, possibly early fifties. "Bring in the rocks!" her master called.

"Wait!" Korra interrupted. "I have a better idea, but you will all have to trust me." Chang nodded, and waited for her to continue.

"Everyone off the ice, and no one come after me. No matter what happens."

Master Chang moved off the ice. He knew Korra had a lot of heart when it came to bending, and trusted her capabilities, but was curious as to what she was going to do.

Korra put her fists together. After a moment of concentration, she melted the ice around her and fell into the frigid waters. Mako's eyes widened, and he instinctively moved forward. Bolin put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from diving in after her.

Mako was frantic. "She is going to die!"

"She's a waterbender, and the Avatar! She said not to go after her, just give her a chance," Bolin's eyes motioned behind Mako as he spoke.

Mako turned and saw Asami, clearly looking hurt. "I'm just worried," he reassured her, grabbing Asami's hand.

"I know. I respect that you and Korra will always have feelings for each other. But she is the Avatar, she can take care of herself," she gently explained to him. Asami wanted him to see he was overreacting.

Mako sighed, "You're right, I'm sorry," and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

It had been minutes, and now even the Order of the White Lotus was beginning to worry.

Then the ground started to shake.

"EARTHQUAKE!" Bolin yelled, his eyes widening as he quickly covered his head.

"The South Pole doesn't get earthquakes!" Mako shouted over the rumbling earth.

The ice started to crack, and it shattered, sending ice shards everywhere. Katara flicked her wrist, melting them, before they reached the group. They all turned to where the ice broke, and saw Korra standing on actual earth. Her eyes were glowing, and she was soaking wet. The light faded from her eyes, and she swiftly moved to bend the water out of her clothes and hair.

"I thought I would bring the earth to us," she smiled sheepishly.

"Great idea," Chang stepped onto the earth. "It feels good to be back on solid ground," he grinned.

Korra took her boots off, and threw them to the side. She raised her knee up to her face, then smacked her foot into the earth. After getting a good picture of the area via seismic sense, she opened her blazing blue eyes.

"Let's do this."

The gong rang, and three boulders promptly made their way towards Korra's head. She punched each one, causing them to turn into tiny pebbles.

Clenching her fists, the earth under Chang liquefied into quicksand, but he smacked the solid ground next to him and flew out of the mud. Korra created an earth wall, and patiently listened. Using her feet, she sensed his movements. With a quick round house rick, part of her shield broke off and went flying at her master. She punched the rest of the wall, the remaining rock forming into smaller projectiles, and shot them at Chang. But, she wasn't trying to hurt him - she was trying to distract him. He dodged each one, and directed a barrage of sharp pebbles towards her. Striking her foot into the ground, Korra was sent high into the air. As gravity overpowered her momentum, she held her fist out in front of her. Upon impact, a large wave of earth exploded from all sides. Chang lost his footing, and ended up on the ground. With an upward motion, Korra trapped him in a case of stone. The gong rang to signify her victory, and she ran over to him.

With a simple kick, his rock prison turned to sand. Korra helped him up, and he looked proud.  
"Well done, Avatar Korra. You used your patience well and waited just for the right moment, a perfect demonstration of neutral Jing! I realize now that you were distracting me, to get me to lose my footing. A down earthbender is a dead earthbender! You have progressed well. I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Master" she bowed to him, then to her audience again.

"We will stop to allow the Avatar to rest, and then we will continue in an hour. Lunch is in the mess hall," a White Lotus member declared.

Korra perked up at the sound of food, and walked back over to her friends.

"Korra, that was amazing! You were all like, woosh, woosh, woosh, air bending slice!" Bolin made expressive hand gestures to prove his point, "then you were all like, kick, smack, punch, earth bending wave!" he finished dramatically.

"Thanks," she laughed, and saw a pair of golden eyes staring at her.

"What were you thinking?" he spat out.

Korra rose left eyebrow in confusion, "Huh?"

Mako began to reprimand her, "Do you know how stupid that was? Diving into the freezing waters, and then bringing the earth to the surface?"

She went on the offence, growing tired of his accusations. "Just so you know, I can handle myself Mako! I bended an air pocket so I could breathe, and I heated the water around me so I wouldn't go into shock!"

"Oh," he looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you should be. We're not together anymore, you don't have to worry about me," she stated.

Mako couldn't think of what to say. She was right, he didn't have to worry about her any more. But he did, all the time.

"Race you to the mess hall?" Bolin broke the tension-filled awkward silence.

"You're on!" Korra's whole attitude suddenly changed. She created an air scooter, and sped off towards the food.

"Hey!" Bolin ran after her. "That's cheating!"

Korra successfully beat Bolin to the mess hall, even with his attempts of earthbending her off her air scooter. She was already filling her plate up with everything, from stewed sea prunes, to chicken-cow imported from the Earth Kingdom. Sitting down with her pile of food, she sprinkled fire flakes on her noodles and began to chow down. Avatar style.

"Looks like someone is hungry," Bolin joined her with a plate equal in size.

"When you train 'round the clock, you tend to get hungry," she stuffed her face with some bread.

Mako and Asami joined them a few minutes later. Mako had a moderate amount of food on his plate, and Asami only had a little bit.

"So what's next, in your Avatar test?" Asami picked at her dumplings.

With her mouth full of food, Korra explained, "Fire, then water. After that they will test my control of the Avatar State." A few crumbs of bread went astray as she spoke.

"But you already basically have control over it, don't you?" Bolin stopped putting food in his mouth to speak.

She swallowed her mouthful, taking a more serious tone, "Yeah, but even the best trained Avatars can lose control in the Avatar State. Your emotions take over, and you aren't you anymore."

Bolin was apprehensive about that. "Sounds scary."

"It is. I heard it happened to Avatar Aang often, seeing as his friends were always in mortal danger and he was very connected with his spiritual side."

"So, why do you have to test the other elements again?" Mako spoke up.

"It's to make sure I haven't gotten rusty, and they will declare if I have officially mastered all four elements."

"But essentially, you have, haven't you?"

"Being able to bend all the elements, doesn't mean I have them mastered," she spoke modestly, "now I believe I do, but a year ago I was far from having them mastered."

Mako nodded, and Korra moved on to devour her stewed sea prunes.

* * *

After lunch, Korra still had about forty five minutes to kill. She walked around the arctic compound, and went to visit Naga at the stables. After a good rub down, she wandered around the rest of the place. Snow fell lightly against her face, and there was no wind at all. Time seemed to go so slowly as she moved. She then heard the gong that signaled they were ready for her. She turned around, and quickly made her way back to the others.

She walked right back into the arena when she arrived.  
"Fire is next," a member of the White Lotus called out.

The earth that Korra raised from the sea was starting to get covered in snow, and she saw a familiar face approach her. "Master Lee!" she ran forward, and hugged him.

The Firebending master was pleased to see his student. "Avatar Korra, you have grown so much."

"It's only been a few years…" she said disbelievingly.

"Not growing as in height, although I am sure you have become taller," Lee smirked brightly, "I meant as a person, your bending, and your knowledge of the world."

"Thank you," she bowed. Korra felt empowered by his words.

The all too familiar gong rang again, and Lee was quick to be on the offensive.

He shot several fire balls. As Korra avoided them, she punched both hands forward, and a massive stream of fire followed. He leapt up and sent an orange wave of flames towards her. She waited, and then held her hands out. The blaze stopped upon coming in contact with her skin, and she swept a band of searing fire at his feet. He was knocked off balance, but fire shot from his right foot preventing Korra from approaching him.

He jumped up, and produced a continuous fire blast from his hands. Korra stood her ground, and disrupted the flames with a circular motion, similar to the one she used in her first firebending test.

'_I'm never going to get anywhere doing this… We both will stand our ground against an attack, and I can't just knock him off his feet like I did with Master Chang,' she thought. _

A crazy idea formed in her head, and she decided to go with it. Lee charged at her, and she waited. Just before he could execute his fire whip, flames exploded from her feet and hands. She propelled into the air, but had a bit of trouble controlling where she was going. After a moment, she was able to get her balance. She extinguished the flames in her hands, now relying on her feet to keep her from crashing down to the earth. She put all of her power into the next attack, making it rain a continuous torrent of flames down on the entire arena. Lee was caught off guard, and panicked. He seemed to be engulfed in inferno, and after a minute she stopped. He was on the ground, but he managed to protect himself. He didn't get up though, so the gong was rung.

Korra lowered herself to the ground the best she could, then dashed over to him.

"Well done," he finally said.

"Thank you, Master" she helped him up, then bowed to him and her audience… again.

"I myself have trouble flying with fire jets, and you managed not only to fly but also bend while doing so. I am proud of you, Korra."

She smiled in return, and there was only one element left.

Katara stepped into the arena, and everyone shared glances.

"Master Katara, are you sure-" Katara promptly silenced her with a raise of her hand.

"Just because I am old, doesn't mean I can't fight. I am your Master, Korra. I choose to be the one you fight with."

Korra nodded, and the gong rang.

Immediately, Korra was on the offensive. She utilized water from the ice forming on the earth, and sent several spikes at Katara. Her master didn't move at all, and Korra almost called off the attack, but then Katara melted them all with just an exhale. Korra tried again, this time holding two water whips in her hand. She struck them at her master, but Katara froze them and took control of the attack. Melding the water, she engulfed Korra in a rushing water sphere. She spun the water around, causing Korra to thrash around trying to break free. After a moment she froze the water solid, and Korra breathed heavily in her ice prison, trying to catch her breath. Before she could even attempt to melt it, Katara beat her to it. With an upward motion, the water splayed into a huge ice wave. The young Avatar was stuck in place at the top, her hands and feet trapped in the ice.

Katara rose up on a water spout, and smiled at Korra. "You have become much stronger, but don't think for a second you can get the better of me."

Korra looked at her, "I could never win against you. You are the most powerful waterbending master in the world," she stated matter-of-factly.

Katara shook her head lightly, "That's not necessarily it. You are often too headstrong Korra, you take waterbending for granted. You wait patiently when earthbending, you even wait while firebending or airbending. But, you don't think when it comes to waterbending. Water flows with the movement of your body, the simplest and most fluid motions can be lethal. You have to use your opponent's energy against them - that is the most crucial lesson in waterbending. I understand that these things may be hard to remember, seeing as you also have to bend the other elements. But I want you to keep that in mind."

"Thank you, Master Katara," Korra said with utmost sincerity. She nodded her head to try and give her respect.

Katara lowered herself back to the ground, and melted the wave that had Korra trapped by waving her finger.

"You passed all of the elemental tests, but now it is time for the Avatar State test," Katara returned to where everyone else was sitting. "You must enter the Avatar State, and bend all the elements into one attack. It is known as the elemental ribbon, or spiral."

After bending the water off of her, Korra closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were shining white with the power endowed by Raava . She bent the water, earth, fire, and air into a spiral. She knew it felt familiar, and was aware that Avatar Aang used it to face off against Firelord Ozai in the Hundred Year War's final battle. Concentrating, she fired at the dummy placed in the arena. It was reduced to nothing afterwards, and she turned to face everyone.

Her eyes were still glowing, and she saw Asami wrap her arm around Mako's. She leaned onto him, and he brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. Korra tried to move her focus elsewhere, but all of a sudden rage started to consume her. Her suppressed feelings about breaking up with Mako were beginning to surface.

'_He can't stop himself running back to Asami. He must like her more than he ever said loved me!' she told herself._

When he kissed her forehead, it pushed her over the edge.

* * *

Korra crouched into a ball, holding her head and screaming. She was her own worst enemy at that moment. Her own mind began arguing against itself.

'_You don't love him anymore Korra. He doesn't love you. You broke up for a reason.' _The earth around her started to crack.

'_The reason being you! You might be the Avatar, but you're not like Asami. She is gorgeous, smart, girly, not to mention rich! Everything he needs,' _each thought clouded her judgment further,_ 'you are just a tomboy, hot headed and obnoxious! Too headstrong for him! He would never choose a worrying life with you, when he can just settle down with Asami!'_ She could hear people calling out her name. The images of Mako and Asami replayed in her mind, and the wind began to roar around her.

'_Maybe he never really loved me. Could he do that to me? He was the first guy I fell for! It was special! And he just forgot about me and got back with her a week later. I'm replaceable.'_

Flames shot from her mouth, she was so upset and angry. Her emotions roared as she fought for control of her own body. They were fighting their way out, despite her best efforts lately to pay no mind to them.

"Korra, you have to calm down! This isn't you!" someone shouted, but she couldn't tell if they were far away or not. Tears leaked out of her eyes, and they smoldered against her skin.

"Korra!" the voice shouted again, and this time she battled to look up to see who it was.

The earthbender wrapped his arms around her, and the winds started to die down. She felt grounded once again, thanks to Bolin's sturdy embrace. Her tears stopped boiling, and her eyes faded back to their normal bright blue.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I lost control."

"It's not your fault," he rubbed her back, and sent an unkind glare to his brother.

She stood back up, away from Bolin, and faced everyone. "Let me try again, let me finish the test," she asked, even though she felt exhausted.

"Korra, I'm not sure that is a good idea," Tenzin spoke calmly, like if he made the wrong move the ground beneath his feet would give in.  
"Please, it won't happen again," she begged. She knew that everyone would be worried she'd lose it again, but she didn't want to give in to those horrible thoughts that plagued her mind.

The elders nodded apprehensively, and Bolin stepped to a safe distance.

"Enter the Avatar State again," Tenzin's voice did not waver.

She took a few deep, calming breaths, and her eyes began to glow once more.

"Earthbend!" a member of the white lotus shouted.  
Stomping a foot into the ground, a large boulder rose up. Giving it a good kick, it slammed into the wall, and it fell to pieces. Another boulder rose out of the ground, and she clenched her hands. The rock shrunk in size, then it exploded causing jagged pebbles to fly across the arena.

"Waterbend!"  
The snow turned to water, and two water whips formed. Moving her hands swiftly, the whips cracked continuously. The water separated and turned into spikes, which she fired at the railing where everyone was sitting. Everyone's eye bulged. She didn't miss, but no one was thrilled about it.

"Firebend!"  
She brought her arms close to her body, then slowly pushed them back out. A ring of fire shot out from all sides, and Katara had to muster up a water shield to keep everyone from getting fried. She moved her arms in a pattern, from her finger tips, to her stomach, up her arm, and to her other fingers - through her chi paths. Lightning soon formed, and it crackled with power. She let it loose into the sky, allowing the bolt continue for a few moments. She punched her arms out to the sides, and roared. Fire shot out from her mouth, and both hands. It would send tigerdillos and saber-tooth moose lions alike running.

"Airbend!"  
She made a rapid movement with her hands, and a tremendous gust of wind headed right at them. They all had to hold on to avoid being forcefully ejected from their seats, and the elders huffed in vexation. Running in a circle, a small tornado formed. Korra shot it at the wall, and it took a minute to disperse. Then she created an air scooter and zoomed around the arena. All they could see was a blue dot going back and forth. Finally she lifted herself into the air, contained in a giant air ball. A rope of water wrapped around the ball one way, fire the other, and chunks of earth formed a circle around her. Once the form was complete, she let everything drop to the ground and slowly drifted back to the earth. The glow faded from her eyes, and she saw everyone staring back at her.

"Well done Korra," a member of the White Lotus approached her.

"I lost control," she stressed, "I almost gave into it."

"But, you didn't. You were able to snap out of it, and regain control. You then continued to impress us all with your bending abilities," he then bowed, "Congratulations. You are a fully realized Avatar."

Katara walked over to Korra, and beamed at her.

"I want you to know that Aang often lost control in the Avatar State, but that didn't mean he was a bad Avatar. He might have been trained later in life to control it, but he found his own way of mastering it as his knowledge of being the Avatar grew. You are a fully realized Avatar, now you just have to figure out your own way of mastering_ your_ Avatar State."

Korra smiled, and then she started laughing with joy. She had done it; she had become a fully realized Avatar!

"Thank you! Thank you all so much!" she couldn't hold back her happiness, and she saw everyone smiling in approval.

"A feast will be held tonight in your honor. Feel free to go get some rest, you've earned it."

* * *

For the first time in what felt like forever, Korra let out a sigh of relief. No longer did she have to worry about Avatar training, or Tenzin shouting at her in the morning to wake up for airbending practice. Of course she always had room to improve – but she had mastered the four elements and the Avatar State. She walked out of the area, and turned in the opposite direction of the people who caused her unexplainable fury and pain. She could hear voices calling after her, but they stopped after she ignored them. After making her way through the compound, the Avatar came upon her room. It had been the same for the past...however many years that she couldn't remember.

She walked around the room, and commenced shoving her belongings in a bag. Just some clothes, and a few keepsakes that she would want to have. Like the vial that Katara had given her, the same one that held the spirit water that saved Aang's life, and the Avatar Cycle. And the air nomad pendant that airbender kids had made for her. Where she was going she just needed the essentials. Korra sat down on her bed, which within a matter of minutes resulted in her laying down. Her eyes drooped shut as she slowly fell asleep.

She was greeted to the sunlight peeking through her window. For a moment, the thought of earthbending a wall to block out the sun sounded very appealing, but she remembered the feast that was taking place in her honor. Grunting, the newly fully realized Avatar sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her bag was still in the corner, and moments later she was greeted by someone knocking on her door.

"Korra?" the voice was tentative.

"Yeah?" she yawned. "Come in."

Tenzin walked in, dressed in his sophisticated fancy air nomad robes. "Why aren't you ready? Are you alright?" he walked over to her. "Is this about what caused you to almost lose control in the Avatar State?"

She nodded, "I think I need some time away. Time to let my feelings detach, time to let me serve the world as the Avatar."

"I know my father traveled the world when he was needed, and that the other Avatars have taken their own path in finding a way to keep the world safe," he sat down next to her on the bed.

"I'm not talking about around the world."

"Then what _do_ you mean, Korra?"

"I think I need to spend some time in the spirit world."

"What?" Tenzin was starting to wonder what she had planned. "How long?"

"I don't know. Do you remember when I was talking to you about reestablishing my connection to the past Avatars?"

"Yes," he gestured questioningly, "where are you going with this?"

"If I find the past Avatars in the spirit world, I think I will be able to reestablish my connection with them," her eyes became fixated on the ground. "All of them."

He was now worried, "Korra, that could take years! Decades!"

"I know. Maybe this is my duty to the future Avatars, they need someone other than me to ask for guidance."

Tenzin abruptly stood up. "Absolutely not! I will not allow you-"

"It's not your decision, Tenzin! It is mine," Korra said sternly, "and mine alone."

"What about the world? The physical world needs its Avatar to keep balance," he tried to convince her.

"I will appoint people to take on a 'Team Avatar' role, of sorts. They will act as me, except as four or five different people." Korra clarified.

"And what if these people refuse?"

"Then I will ask you to find four or five people, a water bender, an earth bender, a fire bender, a non-bender, and maybe an air bender," she looked at him expectantly. "They would be in charge of protecting the world."

"Korra, I am honored…" he was literally lost for any other words.

"The choice is yours, but I need to do this. There is this part of me that feels like I need to do this."

"I believe you," he looked at her face, and his eyes went back and forth between her cheeks. "Your face… the Avatar State, it must have caused your tears to burn you."

"What?" Korra's hands went up to both sides of her face and felt the tender skin. She walked over to the mirror, to find burn marks running down her face. Bending water off of the wall, it surrounded her burns. The water began to glow as she focused to heal herself. She could feel her skin being repaired, the pink, angry flesh returning to its normal mocha color. Bending the water back onto the wall, she saw no trace of them burns. Now at least she didn't have those to show for that near disaster.

"Why don't you get dressed? If you like, I can wait and we will all fly on Oogi to the feast," Tenzin walked over to the door, and turned around to look at her.

"That's alright, I will make it there on my own."

"Are you sure? The compound is several miles from the Southern Water Tribe."

She nodded. "I'll fly on my glider."

"Alright, we will see you there." Tenzin closed the door silently.

In all honesty, Korra just didn't want to be trapped on a flying bison with her ex and his current girlfriend. Especially after her mishap with the Avatar state. She opened her closet and looked through it about a million times, before giving up and deciding to just go in her normal outfit. She picked up her glider in the corner of her room, and went outside. Slipping her parka on, she took off towards the Southern Water Tribe. Out of all the airbending training she had to endure, learning to fly on the glider was _definitely _her favorite. Within ten minutes she could see the lights of the tribe, another ten and she was directly over the city. Making her way to the main building, she could hear cheering from below. She began her decent, and came to a gentle landing on the ice.

"Korra," her father approached her.

"Dad!" her attitude quickly changed as she ran forward to hug him. "Shouldn't you be doing Chief responsibilities?"

"No, I am here to celebrate your success in becoming a fully realized Avatar!"

"Thanks," she released her grip around him, and he did the same. "Where is everybody?"

"They are inside, we are waiting for you to begin."

She followed him into the dining area, where many people were sitting around the large room. Korra took a seat by her father in the front, showing that she had a high ranking title. Katara was on the other side, as well as Senna.

Tonraq's booming voice broke the eager silence of the room. "Tonight, we feast in my daughter's success," he raised his hands in praise, "today, she has become a fully realized Avatar!"

Everyone clapped and cheered, and Korra couldn't help but have a small, shy smile on her face.

Korra stood to address them. "Thank you, but I really don't deserve this," she gestured around. "You all have been so kind, it has been an honor serving as your Avatar." She got more clapping as a response.

"I have an announcement," she continued, and the room fell silent. "As all of you know, I have lost my connection to my past lives. I believe I have found a way to reconnect to them."

Everyone remained quiet, hanging on her every word.

"I am sad to say that I will no longer be your Avatar. I am taking a journey into the spirit world, if I find my past lives there then I can restore my link with them."

Jaw's dropped, eyes went wide. Shocked voices were hushed.

"I am appointing a 'Team Avatar' of sorts. These people will act as me during my absence, they will keep the physical world in balance," she paused for a second, "if they accept my calling."

* * *

She took a deep breath. "Bolin," she called out.

The young earthbender stood up, and took an elaborate path through the tables towards her.

When he had finally reached her, Korra asked, "Will you take the position as an earthbender for this new team?"

"I will," he confidently answered.

"Step forward and receive my mark."

Bolin walked up to her, and Korra dipped her fingers in paint that she brought along especially. She painted a crescent moon on his forehead, and he stepped off to the side.

"Mako."

The firebender followed in his brother's footsteps, yet a little more straightforward, and came face to face with his past love.

"Will you take the position as a fire bender for this new team?" She stared intensely at him.

"I will," his eyes never left hers; she could see the worry in them.

Korra drew the same mark on his forehead.

"Master Tenzin."

Her master walked up to her, and tried to mask his sadness.

"Will you accept the position as an airbender for this new team, and pass it on to one of your children when you deem them ready?"

Tenzin did not speak for a few seconds, but he then finally accepted her choice. "I will."

Korra drew the crescent moon on the point of his arrow.

"Asami."

The heiress looked surprised to hear her own name, but she followed the invisible path of footprints leading to the Avatar.

"Will you accept the position as a non-bender for this new team, using your martial arts knowledge to protect the world," then at a volume only the few surrounding could hear, she added hopefully, "and perhaps learn chi blocking?"

Asami kept her composure, and felt quite honored . "I will."

The girl moved her hair off of her forehead, and Korra painted the mark onto her skin.

" Howl."

Her old friend stood up, and walked forward.

"Will you accept this position as a waterbender for this new team?"

He nodded, knowing the size of the responsibility Korra was giving him. "I will."

Korra drew the mark on his forehead, and looked out to the crowd.

"I give you, the new Team Avatar! These people will be responsible for maintaining the balance of this world while I am away. I have trust in them and faith in their abilities, and hope you all will as well." Korra finished addressing the crowd.

"When are you leaving, Korra?" her father asked her uncertainly.

Korra's face was determined, but unreadable otherwise. She did not look at anyone.

"Tonight."

* * *

**So just in case anyone is wondering, Howl is an OC. I have seen a lot of people use him, and I couldn't think of another waterbender. I would love your opinion, so feel free to leave a review. I will see you all next chapter :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok... so... um... It has been a while... Sorry for the severely delayed update, but I hope it was worth the wait! My Beta and I have been hard at work trying to perfect this chapter in every possible way. Let's go ahead and give her a round of applause! forgetspecifics is the best Beta I could ask for, she has so many great ideas for this story! I love working with her, and I couldn't do this without her! I know this chapter is short compared to the other one... sorry about that. Happy reading :D **

* * *

"_When are you leaving, Korra?" her father asked her uncertainly. _

_Korra's face was determined, but unreadable otherwise. She did not look at anyone._

"_Tonight." _

* * *

The feast was eaten in silence. No one spoke. Other than the sound of chewing and silverware clanking, it was just the gusty winds. As the meal concluded, Korra hightailed it out of there. She said a rushed but painful goodbye to Naga, her parents, and Tenzin's family, then quickly took off on her glider. The Airbender kids were going to miss her, she knew it wasn't fair to them, but she also knew that she had a duty. She had brought her belongings with her, so she manipulated the wind to take her to the Southern spirit portal. As the air shifted she could see the magnificent beam of light in the sky. She mindfully dodged spirits, and many decided to follow her.

Slowly, she began her decent, the snowy ground gradually getting closer and closer before her feet met the compressed snowflakes.

Azure eyes fixated, she just stared at the portal. Sure, she had been inside many times before. But this time she would be in there for...she didn't even know how long. Turning around, she raised her arms into the air to plant her foot firmly in the ground. The earth under the snowy surface shook, and a column rose up from the ground, enabling the Avatar to see for miles and miles. If she wasn't going to see the outside world again, her home, she wanted to get a good view of it first. The spirits that followed her circled around the portal, almost knowing what she was going to do.

She wasn't sure how long she stared at the vast expanse of the South Pole, but sun was dipping below the horizon, the mystic glow of the portal now entrapping the tundras and contours that surrounded. The pure white snow was now tainted green and blue, the land a mixture of color.

"I guess it's time," Korra sighed. Her hands pushed downwards and the pillar returned into the earth as if it had never been there.

She forced one foot in front of the other, her boots crunching as she made her way towards the entrance. As she reached the threshold, she placed her hand against the light. The power of Raava flooded through her body, her eyes turned white, and she could see the spirit world.

She could feel _them. _They were there, all of the Avatars. She could feel their presence.

As she began to step into the portal, she heard a voice. No, three voices. Three voices calling her name.

She turned her head, and saw her friends racing towards her.

She only seemed to notice the firebender.

"Korra!" Mako called, he was distraught. "Korra, wait! Please!"

With her hand still in the portal, she groaned silently. If she talked to them, she was unsure she could go through with her quest.

"I'm sorry," her Avatar voice spoke, and she heard Mako scream her name once again as she was swallowed by the light.

* * *

She saw the Tree of Time, and the range of damage that was caused when she battled Vatuu. With her eyes still aglow, she placed a block on both portals. It would keep Mako, Asami, Bolin, Tenzin, and anyone else looking for her out. This was her journey, and she couldn't burden them with it for the rest of their lives.

They would be furious at her first, but slowly they would learn to let go and move on. Back to their lives in Republic City, Bolin had talked about getting a job as a police officer. Beifong would train him to use seismic sense and he would learn to metalbend. Mako would continue as a detective, his relationship with Asami escalating. Tenzin would train his children in the way of the Air Nomads, and Jinora would most likely be the first to receive her airbending tattoos. They would all return to their normal everyday lives before the hot headed Avatar barged into them. Then there would be the times that they would protect the world for her, keeping it safe while she found her past lives.

Every.

Single.

One.

Tears fell from her light filled eyes. As the glow faded the stream of tears fell faster, her nose sniffling every few moments. Korra hardly cried, she was always tough to crack. Knowing that she wasn't going to see the people that she cared about the most for a long time, or never again, was breaking her. She walked away from the Southern portal; her body was on autopilot as her mind was elsewhere, her cries beginning to die down over time. Once she came to her senses, she found that her body had walked her into a thick jungle. Looking to her left, she saw a spirit mushroom.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" she asked in a small voice, almost as if she was a child again.

"Sure, I'll watch over you," the colorful fungus replied.

The Avatar wasn't sure if she had lost it, or if the mushroom could really talk. Either way she sat down next to it, and earthbent herself a tent. Using her bag as a pillow, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Korra woke up on her own, sleep leaving the Water Tribe girl slowly but surely. Even though she wanted to return to her unconscious state of resting, her body wouldn't let her. She placed her hand firmly on the ground, using seismic sense to see around her. Everything 'looked' alright, so she decided to start being productive. Lifting both hands up to her head then slamming them back down, the earth tent vanished into the ground. Her vision blurred as the brightness suddenly met her pupils, but she could make out her new friend next to her.

"Mushroom?" she cautiously asked, thinking that she might have been dreaming it could talk.

"Yes?" it replied.

As her eyes refocused, she could see that it indeed had a mouth.

"Thank you," she smiled, as she stood up and stretched.

"Anytime," it smiled back.

Picking up her bag, she started off. "Bye mushroom," she waved while walking backwards.

"Goodbye!"

After a little bit of exploring, she came upon a familiar meditating spirit.

"Hey, monkey!" she shouted at it.

"Oh...it's you again. Annoying girl Avatar, I almost preferred your past life…" it didn't even open an eye.

"Hey! I saved the physical and spirit world from Vatuu and Unalaq. You should give me some credit," she crossed her arms.

The spirit sighed exasperatedly.

"No."

Holding back her temper, Korra clenched her jaw.

"Can you help me find Avatar Aang?" she asked impatiently.

"You're the Avatar dear, unfortunately. Just call for him."

Korra felt a little embarrassed to admit to the spirit she couldn't. "I can't. My connection with my past lives got severed when I fought the dark spirit and my Uncle."

The spirit opened one eye to peek at her, and burst out laughing, finally staring at Korra.

She rolled her eyes at its mean nature. "It's not funny!"

"But yes, it is. It is hilarious to me," it spat out in between giggles.

Unable to contain her rage, Korra blasted a gust of wind at, what she assumed to be, the male spirit. He was knocked off his rock and his laughter ceased.

"Where. Can. I. Find. Aang?" she repeated as calmly as possible.

"That was rude," he climbed back on to his stone and dusted himself off. "Do you see that light?"

Korra followed his pointed finger and saw the light.

"Follow it."

She began to run after it, but a vision clouded her mind. Her mind started to ache, as if she knew something about this light, but couldn't find the memory. A brief flash of a very young Aang and a terrifying spirit brought her to a standstill.

Korra realized this was a memory she couldn't completely access after losing her connection to the Avatars, and felt angry once again at the baboon-like entity.

"Oh no! I am not falling for that two life times in a row!" she stomped back over to him, her feet making the ground shake. Her eyes began to glow, and she glared at the monkey. "Where can I find Aang!?"

"You don't think every Avatar has done that before? Your power of Raava doesn't frighten me… anymore."

The glow faded from her eyes, and she picked the monkey up by the leg.

"Hey! Let me go!" it yelped.

"No," she said harshly, tightening her grip on the spirit's limb.

She set a pile of leaves on fire, and held the stubborn spirit over it.

"Have you changed your mind?"

"Fine! I will help you!" it screeched, still trying to break free of the Avatar's iron grip.

She placed the spirit down, and earthbended his feet in place. With a quick burst of wind, the fire was extinguished.

She returned to her interrogation. "What do you know?"

"We felt it, we _all_ felt it when you lost your connection with the past Avatars. Something changed in both worlds, but we don't know what," it began to explain.

"Tell me something I don't know, I already figured that out," she stared into his eyes.

The spirit thought for a moment before speaking again. "I haven't seen Avatar Aang since he was twelve years old, but I do know of a way to find him."

"How?" she raised an eyebrow.

"He had two animal guardians. Appa was his flying bison, and Momo his pet lemur."

"So?" she willed him to continue.

"You have to find Momo, he is the only one that ventures away from Aang. If you can find him, he will lead you back to your past life."

Korra finally felt like she had a good lead. "Where was he last seen?"

"Not too far from here. That pesky flying rat likes to steal my lychee nuts!" the spirit said with clear annoyance.

The Water Tribe girl nodded, and released him from the earth. He rubbed his feet and watched her go, happy to finally return to his meditating.

She walked around for what seemed like hours, looking for any sign of the flying lemur. Just as she was about to take a break, her foot brushed a hard object. Bending down, she picked it up and examined it closely.

"A lychee nut," she whispered in realization.

Continuing in that direction, she found more and more nuts. A quarter mile or so later, she heard rustling and chattering in the trees.

"Momo?" she hesitantly called out.

The lemur stuck its head out, and flew onto her shoulder. He began to promptly lick her face and crawl all over her.

She couldn't help but laugh as the animal greeted her.

"Hi," she managed to say, once he settled down.

He chirped in response, gliding over to a rock in front of her.

"I'm looking for Aang, can you take me to him?"

He nodded, and took off flying in the other direction. Korra tossed her glider into the air, and jumped for it. She grasped the wood above her, and placed her feet above the tail.

She had been following her guide for an hour or so, when she spotted something in the distance. It looked like a temple, but she couldn't make it out from so far away. It seemed logical that Aang would be at a temple.

"Is that where we're going?" she shouted over the wind.

Her new friend turned his head and gave a quick nod.

Another half hour later, the temple was a little more visible. She began to realize that it was going to take a while to get there.

* * *

Four hours, three different landscapes, and a break for lychee nuts later… they had finally made it.

Her decent was graceful onto the temple's plateau, Momo made a soft landing on her shoulder.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing off of the walls.

"Hello," a voice sounded from behind her.

Quickly turning around, she saw what definitely looked like an Air Nomad.

"Avatar Korra," he bowed, and she did the same, "I was hoping to meet you one day, I can't believe my gentle ward was reincarnated into you."

Korra's mouth parted in recognition of his words. He knew Aang. This was the monk that took care of him and taught him airbending. She couldn't recall his name.

"I get that a lot," she smirked. "Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He is-" her old friend couldn't finish.

The scenery around them abruptly dissolved, leaving both of them with no footing and falling towards nothing. She used airbending to maneuver herself towards the Monk, but just as she made a grab for his hand they were forcefully jerked in separate directions by an unknown force. The seemingly endless pit actually did have an end. Both of them slammed into a black liquid, it was squeezing their bodies and unnaturally gluggy. Korra struggled flip over to get her head to oxygen, but she managed to do it. Blinking through the dark sludge, she saw the last of the Air Nomad's robes sinking into the abyss. Using what felt like muscles she didn't know she had, she forced her head upwards. She saw other people falling as well. One of them dressed in red and orange. Squinting her eyes, she recognized him.

Just as she opened her mouth to scream his name, the thick matter forced its way down her throat .

* * *

Mako had been sprinting for what seemed like hours, the spirit portal getting closer with each stride. He heard Bolin and Asami calling out for him, but he didn't stop. Tenzin was right behind them, they had used Oogi to make quicker time. Then he saw her, her crystal blue eyes blazing with light. Her hand in the spirit portal, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks.

"Korra!" he screamed. "Korra, wait! Please!"

He could feel his heart breaking just at the thought she would never return.

"I'm sorry," her voice was intertwined with Raava's, proving to the detective that she was no longer connected with her past lives. The Avatar entered the portal, despite his protests.

He kept running, he was determined to make her stay. She _had_ to stay. Just as he was about to enter the portal, he was blasted back. Crashing into a snow bank, he opened his eyes and tried again. The outcome was the same. Desperate, he sent fire blasts towards the portal. Each one deflected off in a different direction, causing him to become more fraught.

"Mako!"

He turned around to the source of the voice, seeing his girlfriend with tears falling down her cheeks.

"She's gone," Asami choked on the words, feeling sorrow for the loss of their friend.

"We'll try the Northern Portal," his voice started to crack.

"I highly doubt that will work," Tenzin walked closer to him, tears pooling in his eyes. "Whatever Korra did to this portal, she did to the other one. It is clear she doesn't want us following her, this is her quest."

The former Fire Ferret bit his trembling lip, and looked back at the portal.

"She will be alright, Mako," Bolin put a hand on his shoulder, his suppressed sobs becoming obvious.

The tears finally broke free of his clenched eyes as they walked back to Oogi, everyone was hysterical.

He stared at the portal the whole flight back to the compound, he didn't give a damn that he was freezing. What about _her_? Was she safe? The spirit world is full of tricks, and he couldn't help but focus on the knot in his stomach.

"Korra," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

* * *

**So... what did ya think? Reviews are much appreciated, I love your feedback/ideas/opinions! See you all next chapter :)**


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